The Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) hosted its 24th Annual Education Invitational on June 14-18 at Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, in Maui, Hawaii. The invitational is the IRF’s most important annual fundraising activity for research surrounding motivation and incentives.

The event drew attendees from incentive travel and meeting companies representing more than 10,000 meetings and incentives with $1.5 billion in spending. Sixty-four percent were at the vice president level or higher and came from nearly 100 different organizations. Total attendance included 600 sponsors, buyers, trustees, hosts, media and guests.

Education at the invitational covered several subjects relevant to the industry, including trends, regulations, disruption, wellness, the hotel/meeting planner relationship and neuroscience. It also included a “State of the IRF” presentation on the organization’s progress towards its “Vision 2020,” the official launch of the IRF’s 2017 Fall Leadership Insights Forum and the honoring of Roger Stotz, the IRF’s chief research officer, upon his retirement.

“The IRF is incredibly grateful for the industry’s support of this Education Invitational,” says Melissa Van Dyke, president of the IRF. “As the IRF continues to realize its Vision 2020 by delivering the best in actionable research and education, we are delighted to present our research to the top talent in the industry.”

The 25th Annual IRF Education Invitational will take place May 29 – June 1, 2018 in Mexico.